Research program offers discounted smartphones to students, faculty and staff

By CORY NEALON

Is your smartphone bill too expensive? Wary of signing another
long-term contract? Want to participate in a one-of-a-kind research
program?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions,
then PhoneLab might be for
you.

The UB project, which gives students, faculty and staff
discounted use of a Galaxy Nexus 5 smartphone in exchange taking
part in computer science research, is looking for new recruits.

To join, participants pay $275 upfront in six month terms. That
equates to a monthly bill of $45.83, roughly half the average
monthly smartphone bill in U.S. In return, participants receive the
Nexus 5 and unlimited voice and data plans from Sprint.

Participants must use the Nexus 5 as their primary mobile phone
and engage in research studies for roughly two hours per week. The
research varies from simple tasks, such as completing a survey, to
slightly more complex tasks, like using a geotagging
application.

Members of the PhoneLab team will be in the second floor atrium
of Davis Hall, North Campus, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 25 and
in the Student Union, also North Campus, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Aug. 26. Those interested in participating also can set up an
appointment by sending an email to help@phone-lab.org.

Launched by UB engineers in 2012 with a $1.3 million National
Science Foundation grant, PhoneLab is believed to be the largest
world’s largest collection of smartphone users assembled for
large-scale experiments. Last year, 288 people participated, a
number that administrators hope to double this academic year.

The idea behind PhoneLab is to provide a platform for scientists
to conduct research that leads to more powerful, secure and
efficient smartphones, as well as smartphone applications, says
Geoffrey Challen, PhoneLab director and assistant professor in the
Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The lab also educates students about mobile devices and
computing, and it could lead to advancements in wireless
networking.

PhoneLab co-investigators are Chunming Qiao, professor; Murat
Demirbas and Tevfik Kosar, associate professors; and Steven Ko,
assistant professor, all from the Department of Computer Science
and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.